"Where would you find such a big rat in Hanging Neck Ridge? Last time I wanted to dig up some earthworms to fish, I found that all the earthworms had been dug up!"
"These rats aren't afraid of people at all; they might even have eaten human flesh. Be careful not to get infected if you eat them!"
"So what if you eat a lot of human flesh? If you're possessed, we'll see! Would I let you off easy if I didn't eat it?"
"The branding iron is red-hot and the mouse isn't even cooked yet, and you still boast that you were a restaurant apprentice before joining the army?"
"Once you become famous, you'll have to get things done first! Your piece will definitely be included!"
"Sizzle~" The red-hot branding iron burned Lengzai Zai's inner thigh, causing him, whose mouth was Lengzai, to shake his head violently back and forth in pain, using the pain of his head hitting the back of the chair to distract himself from the burning pain coming from his inner thigh!
"It smells fucking good!" The drunkard, who had just started working, sniffed hard at the scorching aroma of burnt meat wafting through the air and exclaimed.
At this moment, Lengzai was bound hand and foot to a rusty iron chair, completely naked. His entire body was so badly injured that not a single piece of flesh could be seen. The fingernails on his two hands, which were fixed to the armrests, were all gone, leaving them bloody and mangled. Furthermore, he no longer had ten fingers, but only seven!
Han Chongshan stood at a distance at the entrance of the dilapidated shack that was temporarily serving as a torture chamber, watching the torrential rain outside. Smoke rose from the cigarette clenched in his mouth. He didn't look at Leng Zai, who was being Lengzai with the hot iron. Even after the branding iron was finished, Lengzai still stared with his slightly dilated pupils, stubbornly holding on. When the drunkard took a swig of alcohol and cursed that the other party was really a tough nut to crack, Han Chongshan turned around, walked to Lengzai, squatted down, looked him in the eye, removed the seal from Lengzai's mouth, and put the half-smoked cigarette in Lengzai's mouth.
Han Chongshan said calmly, "Brother, this is Peng Chau Five-Finger Mountain, and it's raining so hard outside. No matter how loyal and righteous you are, no one will know. Why keep holding on? Tell me, and I'll send you on your way without any trouble, and I'll also give your family some money to ensure they have a worry-free future."
Lengzai struggled to open his swollen, bruised eyelids and glanced at Han Chongshan. His lips trembled as he held a cigarette between his teeth. His body shivered involuntarily due to lack of blood. He managed to take a drag of the cigarette, but then coughed and spat it out. Along with the cigarette, bright red blood gushed out, a sign of internal bleeding.
Han Chongshan took a cigarette from his pocket, put it in Lengzai's mouth, lit it for him, and continued, "You're a man of the underworld, there's no need for your family to be implicated by those people. They're not your brothers, right? Tonight we can't get you to talk, we can't go back and explain, and don't expect anyone to come to your rescue. One of our brothers is keeping watch down the mountain, and even if someone does come to rescue you, you've seen our firepower. We're not men of the underworld, we're soldiers."
Following his instructions, Lengzai looked at the table in the distance. The travel bag was wide open, containing several submachine guns and a large amount of ammunition.
"I... my Dad..."
This was the first time Lengzai had spoken since being captured by the four of them. Upon hearing him speak, the other three immediately showed joy on their faces, while Han Chongshan remained squatting, listening attentively in front of Lengzai.
"I... Dad... cough cough... tell me... everyone dies... don't be afraid of death... the worst thing is being cursed after death... cursed... fuck your mother! Pfft!"
Lengzai struggled to finish the first two sentences, but with all his remaining strength, he managed to utter the last four words at Han Chongshan. The four words, along with blood, sprayed all over Han Chongshan's face!
"Go to hell!" One of his companions grabbed a branding iron and was about to smash it over Lengzai's head! Han Chongshan for him to stop, took out a handkerchief, wiped the blood from his face, and stared at Lengzai. Lengzai forced a mocking smile, and a strange gurgling laugh came from his throat.
"You want to die? You won't. You have plenty of time. I'll capture your whole family to keep you company. When you see your entire family dead, let's see if you can still laugh." Han Chongshan stuffed the blood-stained handkerchief back into Lengzai's mouth, glanced at the Raymond Weil military watch on his wrist, stood up and said, "Drunkard Liang stays. The rest of you come with me. If we can't get him to talk tonight, we won't be able to explain to Mr. Tam."
The Drunkard Liang stood behind Lengzai, branding iron in hand, unmoving. The other two exchanged a glance, then suddenly sprang into action, rushing to the campfire and grabbing the several deliciously roasted rats. Ignoring the scalding heat, they shoved the crispy skin and tender white meat into their mouths. The Drunkard Liang reacted a little slower, cursing as he ran over, barely managing to snatch back two rat carcasses, heads and all. He cursed the two for being disloyal. The two who had gotten the better deal then smugly picked up their travel bags from the table, pulled out an M3 Submachine Gun, tossed it to the Drunkard Liang, and donned their raincoats, preparing to leave with Han Chongshan.
Although the three men fought over the rat meat, there was still a whole, roasted rat left by the campfire. Han Chongshan walked over, twisted off the rat's head, and bit into it, handing the rest of the meat to his companion. "Take this to Xiu Wen when we go down the mountain; he'll keep watch down there."
"Why do men have to marry and have children?" the companion said, putting on his raincoat as he took the rat meat and stuffed it into his clothes. "Brother Shan finally got a job and could make some money, but he has to give it all to his wife and kids. He still has to eat rat meat. If he didn't have a wife and kids, that money would be enough for me to go to a restaurant for a big meal, or even just go to a random braised meat stall and buy a whole pig to eat!"
"Of course, your wife will help you save money to cover the family's travel expenses to Taiwan. If we keep going like this, what woman would want to stay here at Hanging Neck Ridge and suffer like this!"
Han Chongshan ignored his companion's words, turned to look at Lengzai glaring at him, a cold smile curling at the corner of his mouth. He put on his rain hat, hiding his entire face in the darkness. The next moment, he pushed open the dilapidated, riddled-with-holes wooden door and stepped into the downpour.
Their lives are their own, their paths are their own; they are soldiers, they have guns, and they have the courage to fight against this city.
The Drunkard Liang sat on a stool with only three legs, his legs crossed on the broken table. He maintained his balance by rocking back and forth like in a rocking chair. He slowly put the rat bones into his mouth, grinding them with his teeth before swallowing. Although the man surnamed Tan had already paid a deposit, enough for them to eat and drink their fill, everyone had unanimously given the money to their wives and relatives, thinking about saving enough for the family's trip to Taiwan. That was no small sum. First, they needed to contact a passenger ship to transport them all from Shau Kei Wan to Hanging Neck Ridge. Then, they needed to find a way to contact Taiwan in Hong Kong to decide whether to take a passenger ship or a plane. Every extra penny spent now could mean that someone would have to stay behind because they didn't have enough money.